Dice game

ABSTRACT

A game includes four substantially identical, symmetrical spheres, each sphere being divided by a platform and having at least one movable element in the form of a die therein. The containers are connected together in the form of a tetrahedron whereby when the containers are thrown, one sphere appears upright and three form a base, the movable element being visible in the top sphere. The dice have indicia thereon, as do the platforms, and at least a portion of each platform is removable through an opening in the side of its container.

United States Patent [191 Hoetzel 51 Sept. 16, 1975 1 1 DICE GAME [76] Inventor: John H. Hoetzel, 650 Americana Dr., Apt. 108, Annapolis, Md. 21403 22 Filed: May 24, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 473,214

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 344,877, March 26, 1973,

abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl 273/138 R; 273/145 C; 273/146 [51] Int. Cl. A63F 9/04 [58] Field of Search 273/145 C, 145 R, 145 A,

273/145 B, 145 D, 144 R, 144 A, 144 B, 146, 138 R, 147, 58 F, 120 R; 46/26; 35/18 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,030,554 6/1912 Wharton 273/146 UX 2,526,123 10/1950 Dawson 273/145 C 2,962,820 12/1960 Petersen 35/18 A D29,532 10/1898 Woglom 273/146 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 857,920 12/1952 Germany 273/145 C Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oec'hsle Assistant ExaminerArnold W. Kramer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur Schwartz [57] ABSTRACT A game includes four substantially identical, symmetrical spheres, each sphere being divided by a platform and having at least one movable-element in the form of a die therein. The containers are connected together in the form of a tetrahedron whereby when the containers are thrown, one sphere appears upright and three form a base, the movable element being visible in the top sphere. The dice have indicia thereon, as do the platforms, and at least a portion of each platform is removable through an opening in the side of its contamer.

6 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures PATENTEJ SE? 1 51975 SHEET 2 2 FIG. I?

1 DICE GAME This is a division, of application Ser. No. 344,877, filed Mar. 26, 1973, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to games of dice wherein a plurality of dice are shaken or rolled in a container.

Die Structure Dice have been made in any number of configurations as evidenced by Sieve U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,754. This patent illustrates five different shapes of dice having from four sides to 20 sides; whereas, Cowles U.S. Pat. No. 1,054,341 illustrates a die having 26 sides.

One of the objects of the instant invention is to provide a die and games associated therewith wherein the die is in the form of an icosahedron having twenty sides with two sets of numbers from I to 10. In the field of education and child development the numbering system he must learn to live with is one revolving around the base 10, i.e., ll or 0-9. Virtually all commonly used mathematics is developed around this base. By having a series of dice which are numbered from zero through nine, the child can form any number, depending upon the number of dice used. For example, if three dice are used, he can develop any number from 000 to 999. In this way not only can he learn the common numbering system but he can also learn addition, subtraction. division, multiplication, as well as concepts such as less than and greater than., This has not been possible with prior art dice.

Tetrahedron Structure l Another aspect of the invention is the incorporation of a ZO-sided die or group of .2()-sided dice in containers. Therefore another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of spheres having platfor ms wherein the four spheres connected together can be thrown and a pair of dice with an appropriately labeled platform will appear. I

While U.S. patents such as Wharton 1,030,554 and Sutherland 2,879,066 illustrate games which have numbered caps or balls on the ends and U.S. patents such as Madan 1,593,907 and Brown 2,528,029 illustrate bodies or cubes having dice therein, nothing in the prior art has provided a series of spheres connected in a tetrahedron manner having platforms and dice therein in the manner illustrated and discussed below.

Shaker Structure Another aspect of the invention is a dice cup with upper and lower chambers having a platform therebetween which will facilitate the movement of the dice between the two containers wherein a game of chance can be played. I

A common thread which runs through the variously discussed inventions is the utilization of a removable platform between a pair of chambers having -sided dice therein, the dice having two sets of numbers from zero to ten.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent upon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an icosahedron die;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the die of FIG. I in a flattened state;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tetrahedron formed of four spheres having dice therein;

FIG. 4 is a section view of one of the spheres illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a platform seen in the spheres of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a modified sphere of the type used in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a section view of the sphere in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a tetrahedron bolt used in joining the spheres of FIGS. 6 and 7 to form a tetrahedron of the type illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a platform used in the spheres of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 10 is a slide closure for the platform of FIG. 9;

FIG. 1 l is an end view of the slide closure of FIG. I0;

FIG. 12 is a side view of a dice cup according to the invention;

FIG. 13 is a section view of the dice cup illustrated in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a view of the platform illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13;

FIG. 15 is a closure utilized with the platform illustrated in FIG. 14 and as seen assembled in FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the closure of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of a modified shaker;

and

FIG. 18 is a section view of the shaker of FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Set out below is a detailed description of the invention.

Die Seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 a 20-sided die I is seen having two sets of numbers from l-lO, one set 3 having circles around the respective numbers and a second set 5 having triangles therearound to distinguish the two sets. When the child throws the die one of the numbers with either a circle or a triangle therearound will appear in the uppermost position. If the child throws two dice he will have a two-digit number. If he throws three dice, he will have a three-digit number, etc.

Irra game a fourth die may be provided having a multiplication, division, addition, or subtraction indication thereon. The child would first throw a first icosahedron die, then an instruction die telling him what to do (for example,.multiply); and finally throw another icosahedron die which he would then multiply times the first die. 7

Alternatively, he could throw three icosahedron dice, put themtogetherin a row and come up with a threedigitnumber. 1 1

It will be appreciated that the process of learning mathematics could be made into a game.

Four-sphered Tetrahedron Game Illustrated in FIGS. 31 I A series offour spheres are connected together to form a tetrahedron as seen in FIG. 3. Each sphere 10 has a platform 12 therein with a mathematical indication 14 in the form of a minus sign, plus sign,.division sign and multiplication sign. A pair of icosahcdron dice 16 are seen in each of the spheres. The platform 12 is secured to the sides of the sphere by glue or by positioning in a slot as seen at 18 in FIG. 4. Alternatively, the platforms 12 can be formed in such a way as to be free-floating in the sphere. When the tetrahedron is thrown, theuppermost sphere will land insuch a manner that the platform 12 (which may be appropriately weighted) will rest in a position horizontal to the ground. The platform 12 can also be formed with a lower portion shaped to conform with space 20, thus assuring that the platform will rest in the proper location.

' As seen in FIG. 3 the minus sign has landed in the up position. Therefore, the child will be instructed to subtract the number zero to nine on one of the dice from a number from zero to nine on the other of the dicef An alternative modification seen in FIGS. 6-11 illustrates a sphere 22 having a stationary platform 24, the platform having slot 26 therein. Positioned in the cen ter of the slot 26 is an opening 28. The sphere 22 also has an opening in the side 30 whereby a slide closure 32 having a depending portion 34 thereon and a minus sign 14 can be slid through the opening 30 into the slot 26 and covering the opening 28. In the bottom of the sphere 22 is a threaded opening 36. By means of slide 32, opening 28 and threaded opening 36 the child or teacher can change the instructional sign 14 and/or the dice in the sphere.

As illustrated in FIG. 8 a tetrahedron bolt 40 is seen having a four-sided central section 42 and four threaded screw members 44 thereon. The fourthreaded scr'ew members 44 are designed to be threaded into openings 36 to connect four spheres in an easily detachable manner.

Shaker Illustrated in FIGS. 12-18 Referring now to FIG. 12 a spherical shaker 50 is seen with a platform 52 separating the sphere into an upper chamber 54 and a lower chamber 56. At the base of the lower chamber is an opening 58 havingan annular lip 60 thereon. A base cap 62 having an inwardly di rected annular lip 64 is snap-fitted onto lip 60 closing the opening 58. The sphere 50 has a side opening 66 to accommodate a handle portion 68 of a slide 70. The slide 70 is positioned in a groove 72 in platform partition 52. Also located within the slide groove 72 is an opening 74. The slide closure 70 has a mathematical or other instruction sign 76 thereon. It will be appreciated that the marking 76 is not necessary and is selectively changeable.

Another modification seen in FIGS. 17 and 18 has correspondingly numbered elements but of a shape having an upper chamber 54' in a frustroconical configuration.

In a game of chance, five dice can be positioned in I the upper compartment 54 and shaken, the game being to obtain as many dice with the same number thereon. Normally, five conventional dice numbered l to 6" are used. After the dice are shaken, those dice with the same number thereon are noted and removed to the lower chamber by sliding the closure away from opening 74 and allowing the dice to fall therethrough. The dice in the upper chamber are reshaken and any additional numbers identical to those thrown the first time are noted and the total number recorded.

An example of the above would be shaking all five dice in the upper chamber one time. It will be noted that the number 6 appears on two dice. These two dice are removed to the lower chamber through opening 74. The remaining three dice are shaken again and the number of 6's are again noted. In the example used, it may be assumed that one additional 6 appears. Therefore, this player will have three 6s to his credit.

The next person then takes his turn with all five dice in the upper chamber. It may be assumed that when he shakes the first time he will get three 5s. The three 5s are then removed to the lower chamber and the player shakes the remaining two dice. Now it may be assumed that he obtains one additional 5 on his second shake. He will therefore have four 5s, as opposed to the original players three 6s. He will therefore win the game.

An advantage of the instant device is that it permits the players to shake the dice without any influence created by their hands on the dice or on the opening of a container normally used to throw the dice onto the ta ble.

While several embodiments of the invention has been described, it will be understood that it is capable of many further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptions of the invention following in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within knowledge or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to essential features hereinbefore set forth and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l, A game comprising:

a. four substantially identical, symmetrical geometric containers,

b. each of said containers being divided into inner and outer portions by a platform extending across their inner walls,

c. at least one movable element in each of said containers,

d. said containers being connected together and arranged in the form of a tetrahedron wherein any combination of three of said containers always have a portion thereof lying in a common plane, and a fourth of said containers is upright with its respective platform being substantially parallel to said plane,

e., said containers each having at least the outer por tion thereof essentially transparent whereby when said containers are thrown or dropped, said fourth container appears upright and at least one movable element is visible in said fourth container as it rests on said container platform.

2. A game as defined in claim I wherein said containers are spheres.

3. A game as defined in claim 1 including indicia on said platform.

ers are separably connected by means of a member having threaded portions thereon adapted to mate with threaded portions on said containers.

6. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one movable element is a die with indicia thereon. 

1. A game comprising: a. four substantially identical, symmetrical geometric containers, b. each of said containers being divided into inner and outer portions by a platform extending across their inner walls, c. at least one movable element in each of said containers, d. said containers being connected together and arranged in the form of a tetrahedron wherein any combination of three of said containers always have a portion thereof lying in a common plane, and a fourth of said containers is upright with its respective platform being substantially parallel to said plane, e. said containers each having at least the outer portion thereof essentially transparent whereby when said containers are thrown or dropped, said fourth container appears upright and at least one movable element is visible in said fourth container as it rests on said container platform.
 2. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said containers are spheres.
 3. A game as defined in claim 1 including indicia on said platform.
 4. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of each of said platforms is removable through an opening in the side of its respective container.
 5. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said containers are separably connected by means of a member having threaded portions thereon adapted to mate with threaded portions on said containers.
 6. A game as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one movable element is a die with indicia thereon. 